The Sphinx
by Skye1963
Summary: To rescue Dean and Castiel from Purgatory, Sam embraces his true nature and becomes something more than human. When they come back to the world, God is waiting with a gift for the three of them. Set after Season Seven Finale, AU Sam/Dean/Cas implied but not explicit.


_Set after Season 7-Survival of the Fittest. AU for Season 8._

_Thanks Daiyu Amaya for Beta Reading for me!_

Sphinx

The Legend

_Legend had it that Eve, the mother of all monsters wanted children. She was so envious of God who made all things that when she found the Sphinx, she tried to duplicate it. But she could only duplicate certain aspects. She made the Selkie, merman/mermaid, skinwalker, werewolf, phoenix, dragon, and other natural creatures that were all parts of the Sphinx but she could never put those elements together. When she got frustrated, she decided to make those monsters that were mere shadows of the original humans. They were the ghoul, Wendigo, djinn, vampire and others of the like. Then she set her children on the human population. God became angry and threw Eve into Purgatory where she was to rule forever. The Sphinx, not liking how it had been used, went to God and asked for His help and forgiveness. He said that the Sphinx was not at fault for what Eve had done. He said that He would hide the Sphinx in the shape of a human but one day it would be reborn into it's original form. That day would be when it's love was threatened by Eve and her children in Purgatory._

Prologue

It finally came to this. After all these years, all his struggles that he would have to lose the humanity he stubbornly held onto. Now his secret would have to be revealed but he would do it so he could get his brother and his friend back. Only he, out of all natural creatures on the planet, could walk into Purgatory without a gate or door being opened. But first, he had to embrace what he really was. He prayed to his true Father that his brother wouldn't hate him for keeping this secret.

He stood on the wild shore facing east, waiting for the morning sun to hit him. He had stripped and put on the medallion that had been Mary's. When he was soulless, he had found it in one of Samuel's vaults and knew instinctively it was for him. Even soulless, he knew to keep the medallion hidden and that part of him secret, not to be used until there was a need.

When the sun's rays first hit him, he began to glow. The changes began to happen, slowly at first then faster as the sun rose in the sky. "They always called Lucifer the Morning Star," he thought to himself, "They couldn't have been more wrong."

The medallion began to burn hot as the sun hit it. The changes, first internal and mental, now became visible. Wings were grown, hair became longer and lusher, eye color changed from hazel to a rainbow of colors, a tail grown, ears became pointed and fangs were more pronounced. His skin became golden in color with gill slits on his sides, and his nails were hardened. When the sun finally had risen, the changes were done. Sam Winchester was no longer human. He had embraced his true heritage at last. The First was born again.

Chapter One

When Dean got mad at Sam for keeping secrets, he thought that the only secrets Sam had were the ones pertaining to demons, his powers and Ruby. What Dean didn't realize is that Sam was very private about his life. Dean would have laughed if anyone had even suggested that. He liked to say that Sam was a girl who needed to talk about everything. But that really wasn't the case. Sam did talk about his feelings and tried to get Dean to talk about his. He did talk about many things but there were some things he never talked about.

He never talked about his memories that came out in dreams. He never talked about his real powers or the fact that, as a six month old baby, he had to let Azazel do what he did in order to protect his true identity. He never talked about the _knowing_ he had with Mary. Most of all, he never said anything about what Mary had told him while he was in the womb.

She knew that her baby would be able to understand her when she told him not to interfere when the demon came for him at six months of age. She told her baby son that it was possible that she would be killed and it wasn't his fault. It was hers for making a deal when the demon had killed John. Mary said that if his father and brother ever found out what he was, they would kill him before he was able to really defend himself. She said that once every hundred years, he was reborn into their family. She was proud to be able to call herself his mother. She also told him of his true Father and that John was just the vessel of that Father. Then she told him about the medallion that she hid in one of her father's vaults.

As was tradition, Mary introduced her baby to his protector soon after he was born. The bond between brothers was unbreakable by any outside source. The only ones who could break it were the brothers themselves. After Mary's death, Sam knew that another protector would be there for both himself and Dean but it wasn't John. Mary had told him that the protector would give him something that he would recognize and he was to give it to Dean. When Bobby gave him the amulet, he knew then who the second protector was.

_SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW_

The first thing he noticed after his change was that he was hungry. He sniffed the air and found that a herd of deer were about five miles north of him. Grinning, he stretched his wings for the first time in thousands of years and took off. It only took him a minute to get to where the deer were. Landing upwind of the herd, he started to study them to find the weakest member. Like a wolf, he would only take the weak to strengthen the herd. It took only a few seconds before he recognized his prey, a male in his prime but with a broken leg. Sam shifted his form into that of a stag of one who had slightly more status than the injured deer. Carefully easing out of the copse of trees he had hidden in, he made his way to the herd, occasionally dipping his head to eat the meadow grasses. At first, the lead buck seemed to want to challenge the newcomer but Sam kept his posture submissive. After a slight challenge, the buck went back to grazing while Sam moved carefully to his prey. Finally, he stopped next to his chosen deer and, dipping his head, he ate quietly next to it when it happened. Just one quick glance to catch its eyes and it was his. Calmly, he let his true form come out. The rest of the herd nervously cantered away, but the buck he wanted stayed in one place. Placing his hand on the deer's head, he let calm flow threw him to the deer. Sam walked around to the deer's side and, bending slightly, he bit the neck. He drank deeply of the blood until the heart stopped. Laying the buck gently on the ground, he opened his mouth, and letting his fangs extend to their fullest, he began to eat. After he had eaten his fill, he called to a wolf pack he had sensed nearby. When they came, he backed off and let them finish his kill. He had always believed in sharing whenever possible.

He rested in a small cave, keeping his true form out and his powers become stronger. For the next week, all he did was eat and rest, until he had finally got all his powers back and as strong as before. He was ready to face Eve and her children.

Now that Sam was ready, he once again stood on the wild shore but this time he raised his hands and a black hole opened. Taking a deep breath, Sam stepped inside.

Chapter Two

Dean was tied up and on a table like a Christmas turkey. For the last month, he had survived in Purgatory by hiding and dodging the nasties that lived there. Many of them had been sent here by Dean and his brother. Not to mention the ones who were pissed that he had handed them over to Crowley. It was only by sheer luck that the rugaru had found him and decided on inviting him to dinner as the main course. The damned thing even invited a ghoul family to join in, the same family who had killed Adam and his mother. Dean now could only pray that Castiel would help him but the insane Angel wasn't answering his prayers.

As the monsters sat down for a leg of Dean, a flash of bright white light went through the cave. After it faded, Dean saw a being who angrily growled at the group getting ready to eat. The rugaru and ghouls looked at it in shock and then backed away from Dean. The creature snarled once and the group decided on a salad for dinner. They ran for their pitiful existences. They also knew they needed to let Eve know what had arrived. Before they got too far, the creature held up his hand then fisted it. Cries of pain came then nothing as the group fell down in ashes. It turned to Dean and surprised the hunter by the tears in its eyes. Then it put its finger on his forehead and he fell asleep.

As Sam worked the knots that held his brother down, he mentally called out for Castiel, "Cousin, I'm here to bring you back so get your feathery ass over here!"

A sound of wings filled the air and Castiel appeared. He looked at Sam with a goofy grin, "You look lots better! Hey, you gonna kill Eve?"

Sam smiled gently, forcing himself not to roll his eyes, "Nope, not if I don't need to. I just want to get you two back home and safe."

Castiel thought for a moment then asked, "Carry us?"

Now Sam did roll his eyes but he also put one arm around Cas and the other around Dean. Spreading his wings, he flew them towards the temporary gate he had made and out of Purgatory. Gently, he set down on the wild shore and willed the gate closed. Cas smiled at him and gave Sam a hug, "I'm so happy to see you again. Why didn't you tell me who you were?"

"I wasn't able until now. True Father said that only when my love is in Purgatory would I become myself again. When the two of you went there, it hurt so very much, I broke out of my hiding place. You and Dean are my love, I guess. My brothers in all but birth."

"Why did you become human in the first place?" Cas questioned. Ever since the First went missing, he had searched everywhere for him. "Did Father punish you for what Eve did?"

"No, He didn't. In fact, He said that the whole thing wasn't my fault. He said that it was natural for me to find a friend because I was so lonely. I didn't know she would use me for her own reasons then just leave. I asked Father to make me human so nobody could ever use me again. _That_ really worked out good, huh?" Sam answered with his eyes on the ground.

Castiel felt bad for his friend. He knew that humans used touch as a way to console each other so he went to Sam and, putting his arms around the young man (er…Sphinx) and hugged him. Sam's head went into Cas' shoulder and he started to cry. He cried for everything that had happened to him in his very long life, he cried for the loneliness that would be his if Dean rejected him and he cried for what had happened to his brother and friend.

"Shh, it'll be okay. Dean won't reject you, you know," Cas crooned in his ear. "If he does, I'll kick his ass for you."

Sam giggled a bit. Then he dried his eyes as he hugged Castiel back, "Thanks, Cas. I needed that."

Cas grinned back then said, "We need to get Dean to a safe place. What about the cabin you had holed up in?"

Sam looked at Castiel. He had forgotten that humans had needs and one of them was a warm place to live. He could do with a cave but Dean definitely could not. Gathering them once again in his arms, Sam took off for Rufus' cabin.

_SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW_

Dean woke up in a warm, clean bed with Castiel watching him from a chair next to it. "Where the hell have you been and where are we?" Dean growled weakly.

"I was looking for bees and we are at the cabin," answered Cas brightly.

Dean groaned. Then he remembered the thing that had come for him while he was being served as dinner, "Where is it? What was that thing?"

"I would rather you not call my cousin it or thing," retorted Cas. "He is a very good being who rescued us. As for what he is, we call him the First since he is the first being that Father created for this planet. You call him the Sphinx."

"What? You mean that thing in Egypt is real?" Dean was having a hard time understanding. "I used to tease Sam that it looked like him and he used to get…Cas? Where's Sam? What happened to my brother?"

"Nothing happened that shouldn't have happened," Castiel answered cryptically.

"What the hell does that mean?" Dean was starting to get angry. He had a feeling that something happened to his baby brother and it wasn't good.

"Have I ever told you what really caused Cain to kill Abel?" asked Cas.

"What? No but…"

"I was told that Cain found out that Abel wasn't like him. Because of this, Cain felt that God favored Abel just because of who he was, not because Abel gave of the best of his flock. Cain got angry and jealous of the supposed favoritism so he killed his brother in order to get God's attention and love," Cas paused then went on, "My Father was angry and wanted to give Cain a harsh punishment but because his brother forgave him, Cain was banished with his family.

"What Cain found out was that Abel was the First in human form. The First had been used by Eve to create monsters. She found that she couldn't duplicate the First as a whole so she took various aspects of him and made her 'babies'. When he found out, the First begged Father to hide him. That's how the First became human. He has lived many lives as a human and could only claim his birthright when his love was in Purgatory, threatened by Eve and her children. "

"I don't understand," Dean said weakly. Cas held up some water and helped him to drink. "Why would he come for us?" Cas watched as the information seeped into Dean's tired brain and he made the connections. "God, that was Sam?"

"Yeah, that was Sam," was all Castiel said. Then he put his fingers on Dean's head and said, "Sleep, when you wake up, we'll talk more."

Chapter Three

For the next three days, Castiel tended Dean's wounds and answered all his questions patiently. The only one he couldn't answer was where Sam was since he really didn't know. The First, he told Dean, could hide from Angels and Demons naturally but with the Enochian carved on his ribs, it made finding Sam impossible. Sam would come home when he wanted to, he said. That hurt Dean knowing his brother was hiding from him though when Cas suggested praying, he just laughed. God hadn't helped them before, why should He do it now, was his reasoning.

On the fourth day, there was a knock on the cabin door. When Castiel went to answer it, he found Chuck standing on the other side. "Um, can I come in?" Chuck asked. Cas' eyes were wide when he understood who exactly was at the door.

"Y-yes, please come in. I'm sorry I didn't understand!" Castiel stuttered.

Chuck gestured to someone behind him and when they entered, Castiel could see it was Sam. Dean was awake and sitting on the couch. His eyes got large when he saw Chuck and Sam. "S-s-sammy?" he stammered. Sam ducked his head and nodded slightly. "Oh, God Sammy!" Dean cried and ran to his brother, pulling him into a crushing hug. Tears fell from both pairs of eyes as the hug went on, neither brother wishing to be separated from each other again.

"That's nice to see," smiled Chuck. He then turned to Cas and said, "I see you told him about the First?" Cas nodded. Chuck went on, "Good, that will save some time. First, I suggest we all sit down."

Not letting Sam go, Dean sat on the couch and made Sam sit next to him. Castiel chose to sit on Sam's other side then they looked expectantly at Chuck. He smiled at them again then began, "I have a proposal to give you but first, Dean can you forgive Me for not helping you during the apocalypse? I usually don't explain Myself to anyone but I will for you. You and your brother passed a very difficult test and I wish to express My joy to you. You have exceeded beyond all My other children's expectations. I also wish to give you a gift but you need knowledge to make an informed choice. This I will give you.

"One thing you need to know is that Sam had a secret he couldn't tell you until certain conditions were met. Once they were, he embraced who he was to save you. He is very much afraid of losing you, Dean, so he came to Me for advice. My advice was to give you a choice whether to accept him as he is or to leave him. Castiel has given you information to help but he hasn't given you all the information you need since he doesn't know all of it.

"When the world was young, I made a being that, in many respects, is a mix of all creatures on this planet. But, like Adam at the beginning, he was only one. Adam showed me that higher beings needed another one to complete them or they become very lonely but I thought the First was the exception since he never said anything. This all came to a head when he befriended Eve. She too wanted someone she could call her own but in her case, she wanted children. So she tried to 'copy' the First but found she couldn't completely copy him. She could only copy aspects of him and that's where you get the shifters, skinwalkers, werewolves and other nature-based monsters. Eve then tried to copy humans but all she got were ghouls, rugarus, and other non-nature-based monsters. When he found out what Eve had done, the First became very upset. His quest for a friend, a companion went very wrong and she had used him so he asked Me for a favor, a gift. He asked if I would hide him among the humans so he could never be used. I said yes but stipulated that when his love was in Purgatory and being threatened that his natural being would come to life. He agreed and became Abel. Over the years, I had him reborn many times and I helped him find love.

"It was only when he was reborn as Jacob that he found his true loves in the persons of Rachel and her sister Leah. Leah was Castiel's first vessel. Rachel was your first life."

Dean was shocked. He didn't know that his life with Sam extended over centuries until Chuck told him. He swallowed hard and looked at his baby brother whom he loved more than life itself. Sam kept his eyes on the ground; his posture told Dean that he was unsure and very scared. Dean reached over with his free hand and gave his brother a hug. Then he turned back to Chuck and nodded, he was ready to listen to the rest.

Chuck smiled and looked over to his youngest. Castiel was lost in his memories of the days when Leah was his vessel and the First loved him. They had many children together that time. Chuck continued his explanation, "The First was reborn many times as were you. I wanted to keep you together but My other children had plans that needed you divided. That is why I had My baby sent to pull you out of Hell. I knew you wouldn't fight him since you would have recognized him as someone who was close to you.

"Now about Sam. He has always remembered everything but the stricture I put on him made it so he couldn't alter the events that had to happen. Your mother knew what was going to happen and she told him while he was in the womb that he had to let it happen. He was upset and appealed to Me. I had to tell him the same thing. Your mother also told him that he wasn't to blame for anything that had to happen. It all started with her and her deal with Azazel. She said that if he did anything to save her, he would end up dead and she couldn't handle being the cause of her child's death. She had also warned him not to say or do anything out of the ordinary for fear your father would kill him."

Dean understood that and thought his mom was the very smart. Before Sam went to college, John had started to become very black and white in his thinking of the Supernatural. He would have killed Sam if he had found out Sam was the First creature ever created on this planet. Hell, the man wanted to kill his son when he found out that Sam was one of Azazel's "special children". He even warned Dean that he had to either save his brother or kill him. Then a thought occurred to him.

"What about the demon blood?" he asked.

Sam turned red and kept his eyes on the floor. Chuck knew the why and how very sorry Sam was that he took that path. Chuck tried to clear it up for Dean by saying, "Even very old beings can do things when they are confused and hurt that they normally wouldn't do. Sam wasn't thinking of anything other than he had lost you and he wanted you back. When he couldn't get you back, he wanted revenge but, like you, he wasn't told the whole truth. My sons decided that the two of you were just objects to use and throw away. That's why they are grounded and I have forgiven you.

"Like you, he had been used by My children who wanted to have the apocalypse happen. But they didn't understand who they had condemned to be Lucifer's vessel. If they had known, they would have run far away from him and left both of you alone. As it was, Uriel made you torture Alastair which made Sam feel that he had to rescue you from that fate. He knew that it would hurt your heart and soul if you were made to torture someone, even a demon. Zachariah used Ruby to put a wedge between you and it almost worked. He needed you to be angry with each other to be effective vessels. He wanted to tap into that anger for the final battle and he honestly believed that you, Dean, would be so angry with Sam that you would jump at the chance to be Michael's vessel. What nobody expected, what they didn't know was that when I had Castiel pull you out of Hell, your bond would snap back into place.

"Unfortunately, they had done damage to the trust and faith you had in Sam and you had hurt him terribly, both of you but like he did with Cain, he forgave you. He had even forgiven Castiel for the torture My baby put him through by tearing the wall down that Death put up to keep the Hell memories away." Chuck smiled but tears were in His eyes for the torment these three had gone through for years. He cleared his throat and continued, "But here's the problem and it is the root of the whole thing…I don't want Sam lonely ever again. Now, I can assign Castiel to be his companion but I also know he would also like you, Dean. So here is My proposal and gift to you, I would like you to agree to be changed into a Sphinx so you can be with Sam as long as he lives. You would go through many physical and mental changes, one of which would be the two of you could become pregnant if you so choose. Since you would be long lived, you would not be able to reproduce often. If you do this, I will make a special place just for you and your family. So, do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, how did Mom know about Sam and what kind of changes are we talking about besides me growing lady parts?" Dean questioned.

Chuck grinned then he answered, "Sam has been reborn to the same maternal line ever since his time as Jacob. Every one hundred years, he would be given life. Your mom knew about it since her great-grandmother had given birth to him. Unfortunately, babies born during that time had a hard struggle to stay alive and Sam only lived for a few days before dying. Your mother just did the math and knew she would be the one to carry him next. She also knew he would have two protectors, you and Bobby Singer were chosen this time. Usually Castiel was his protector but I needed him in Heaven this time.

"As for the physical changes, why don't you and Sam go outside so he can show you what to expect."

Dean nudged his brother and got up expectantly. Sam looked at Chuck then his brother before getting up to follow Dean outside. Chuck and Cas grinned at each other before following the boys outside. Once there, Dean made a gesture to Sam saying hurry up. He was a bit startled when his brother started to strip but didn't say anything. Once nude, Sam let the change happen.

The first change that Dean saw was the wings and a tail. Both were golden in color, the wings spanned fourteen feet each and the tail went to the ground but wrapped itself around Sam's right leg. Then he noticed Sam's skin was golden and his hair was longer. He had pointed ears which rotated to catch all sounds and there were four slits on each of his sides. Sam's nails were longer and pointed. When he opened his mouth, Dean saw long canines, two on the bottom and four on the top. Then Dean got a look at Sam's eyes, they were a rainbow of colors instead of the usual hazel color. Sam looked at Dean then at the ground as if he was ashamed of what he was. Dean's heart went out to his brother. He went over to Sam, put his arms carefully around him and hugged him.

"You're so beautiful, Sammy!" he said joyfully. Then he asked, "What are these cuts about?" running his hands on Sam's sides.

"They're gills," Sam answered softly. "I can breathe underwater."

"I bet you can fly, too," Dean said. Sam nodded a bit more happily.

Dean reached up to feel his brother's wings. When his fingers touched Sam's wings, Sam shuddered. Nobody had ever touched him like that in so very long. In fact, Castiel was the only one who ever did. Cas glanced at his Father for permission. Chuck smiled and nodded his head. He watched his youngest go to the duo and join them. He decided to go back into the cabin and watch some t.v. while the kids were getting to know each other.

Chapter Four

The hours the Mates spent relearning about each other in their true forms were glorious to say the least. Dean found that Sam's wings, tail and ears were sensitive to the slightest touch. He also found that Cas' wings were also very sensitive while the other two found his spots. Dean was delighted to find that Sam's wings were very functional and his tail was prehensile. He loved finding the gills worked as well but didn't like the fact that Sam would sneak up on him under the water to dunk him then laugh at him. Cas too was having fun. He hadn't played with his cousin since he was a fledgling and he had missed it. It wasn't a problem for Dean, Cas or Sam when it came to loving. Even though they may look male, Dean knew that Cas really wasn't and Sam was both. Also, because Sam embraced his true self, his DNA wasn't the same as Dean's.

Afterwards, Dean went on a walk. He wanted some time to think about a decision that was given to him. The other two sensed it and gave him his space. After walking for a while, Dean sat on a log. He thought about everything that Chuck had told him. He remembered what Chuck had said about Sam being lonely and hurt. He remembered how Sam couldn't handle him being in Hell because of the loneliness and guilt. He remembered how he used to stand up for Sam when they were small. How he felt when he carried that baby out of the burning house. He remembered that Sam was love, forgiveness, trust and challenges rolled into one. He also remembered the look Sam had on his face when he threw himself into the Cage.

He thought about how Lucifer and Michael probably treated Sam when they found out who he truly was. How much more torture it was for his brother than it was for him. He sat for hours thinking then he decided. He said the only word that he would never say for Michael but he would say for his baby brother. Looking up to the stars, Dean said, "Yes."

_Chuck smiled when He heard Dean's answer. He knew all along what Dean would say but it still was nice to hear it. Taking a last swig of whiskey, he put the glass down and said, "So Be It." Then he went to give Dean the amulet he had thrown away so very long ago._

_SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW_

Eden was beautiful, as beautiful as the First and Castiel remembered it. The two delighted in showing their Mate it's wonders. When they showed Dean the trees that had caused the First Couple's downfall, all he had to say about them was that they were nice. Then he went back to using his tail to tease Castiel. They were happy there and every so often True Father, or Chuck like Dean called him, would come and visit. He kept dropping hints about children but the Mates aren't in a hurry they said. For right now, they are enough and they are happy.

Chuck just smiled. He knew that they were already pregnant, all three of them. Cas would have a boy and girl, Sam would have two boys and Dean would have two girls. The pregnancies would last a very long time and Chuck already had a planet ready for them when they were ready to give birth where they would all be safe. Chuck also would have some old friends waiting for them to guide them and their children into the future. He couldn't wait until He saw Dean's face when he saw Gabriel and Balthazar. Bobby, John, Mary, Jess, and the rest of their family and friends would be reborn as the Sphinxes' and their Angel's children.

It was His gift to His children.


End file.
